Revering The Heaven And Worshipping The Tao:An Ideological Background Of The Forming Medieval Taoism

Revering the Heaven and Worshipping the Tao: An Ideological Background of the Forming Medieval TaoismSummaryWith the developing Taoist studies in the last half-century, we encounter several different opinions on the definition and origin of Taoism. It's difficult to judge the opinions easily and directly if we didn't study lots of the first hands materials brought out during the birth of Taoism. Facing these materials, we need a basic and clear standard to judge what is or not Taoism used in our observation. My theory is that the worshipping object of traditional religion and popular religion is "Heaven", while the core of Taoist worship is "Tao". The name 'Taoist religion" was just because the Taoist monks' basic belief was the 'Tao", not the "Heaven". In my view, the worshipping to Tao is one of the pure Taoist elements. I will observe what is and when did the "pure Taoist elements" emerge in Taoist history. The highest God in the end of Han was still the "Heaven", not the 'Tao", however. I believe that The Heaven worshipping began from the ancient China, even continued to be prevalent in the lower social stratum in modern China. 'Tao" became a core of religion worship from a philosophical concept not earlier than the end of Han Dynasty. I will analyze the four kinds of materials discussed below, especially in their value of estimating the relief background from the Warring States Period to Six Dynasty.(1) Analyzing the grave quelling (Unbelief appeared in the funeral texts from the Han to Six Dynasty, we can find a marking time─5th century, when the clear Taoism elements─the worship object was not the Heaven but the Tao or its personalizing gods, emerged in the grave quelling belief. Since the grave quelling belief lasted from the Warring States belonged to the range of revering Heaven, we can believe that the core of traditional religion and popular religion didn't transform even till the end of Han, when traditionally believed that Taoism was growing up.(2) Many scholars believe that Laozi had already deified as the highest god of Taoism─the Most High Lord Lao in the end of Han. Studying the Inscription of Laozi , I think Laozi was only one of the most famous or important immortals, not equated with Tao, even not the highest god of Taoism. There was no a clear, pure and real Taoist God in the end of Han. The Heaven God was still the highest God at that time.(3) Some scholars believe that the Inscription ofFei was an example that Taoism group which full of immortal belief colors had already survived in the early period of East Han Dynasty. Observing the immortal belief from the pre-Qin to Wei and Jin period, I believe the core of this Inscription was in the range of the revering Heaven either. The group organized by Fei Zhi and his disciples was a kind of personal school(fA^) prevalent in Han period, not a Taoist clergy.(4) The Five Pecks Rice Taoism (4/Kit) found by Zhang Daoling (irfcit E￡) and his son and grandson in the end of Han was regarded as the beginning of Taoism. I doubt the authenticity of the history of Three Zhangs (Hir￡) and the traditional view that the Five Pecks Rice Taoism transformed to be the Celestial Master Taoism (:%.$$ it) directly and in one single line. When we observe the formation of medieval Taoism, the Taoist Eastern tradition(iSf!c&tJ& pfl ftf^E) originated from East seaside maybe equally important as the Taoist West tradition (iltS[ (ftSgfl'ft^c) originated from Sichuan.From these, I feel that the period of the end of Han was indeed not the time for a new and formal religion to grow up. In other word, the circumstance of the "religion" in that time was far away from the formal Taoism. I incline to such a viewpoint that Taoism formed in 5th century. Only from then on, did the Tao worship became a new belief outside the traditional reverence to Heaven.